MAKING GLOBALIZATION WORK FOR WORKERS by Alan Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs

The global trading system can and should work for
developed and developing countries alike, Alan
Larson, under secretary of state, says in an article
adapted from a January 5 speech to the Rotary Club
of Washington.
Plenty of obstacles to freer trade remain to be
worked out, including differences over environmental
and labor rights issues as well as plain protectionism,
he says. Still, because both sides want an open,
fair trading system — one that lets "globalization
work for workers"— they have no choice but to
eliminate those obstacles, he says.

It is in America's interest, I am convinced, that the
global economy should expand through increased
trade and a broader and freer flow of capital. At the
same time, to be durable, the global economy must be
built on a solid ethical and political foundation. The
global economy must be supported by a global sense
of community and animated by an appreciation of the
common humanity that people throughout the world
share. It also must be reinforced by a set of instituti-ons
and rules that help ensure that all people, within
this country and across countries, can find within the
global economy opportunities to expand our freedom
and to realize the full potential God has given us.
And when I speak of freedom, I have in mind the
Four Freedoms that former U.S. President
Franklin Roosevelt stressed — freedom of
expression, freedom of worship, freedom from
fear, and freedom from want. We face tough
challenges as we attempt to pursue these
objectives at the beginning of a new millennium
because the freedoms that enable people to
achieve their potential are spread rather unevenly
around the world.

NEW PERMUTATIONS ON AN OLD ADAGE
Many of us have found wisdom in the old adage,
"Give a man a fish and he is fed for a day.
Teach him to fish and he is fed for a lifetime."
Today the adage needs to be updated in several
ways.
First, it is not just being politically correct to
suggest that the adage should talk about both
men and women. In fact, one of the most important
lessons of development economics is the importance
of ensuring that women as well as men
enjoy full economic opportunities.
More profoundly, to move beyond a subsistence
lifestyle, men and women in developing count-ries
need to be able to sell their products in the
global economy and to buy other products that
help them achieve the quality of life they value.
Here's where the issues start getting complicated.
First, there is the simple question of protectionism.
What if I am a fisherman in a developed
country and fear that my wages will fall or I will
lose my job if I face competition from a fisherwoman
from a developing country? Because of
her poverty, she may be willing to work longer
hours or for lower wages. Is that unfair? Most of
us would say that we should not refuse to buy
the woman's fish simply because she is poorer
and will work for less.
The example is not a trivial one, however. At the
recent trade negotiations in Seattle, some countries
refused to support a tariff reduction proposal called
Accelerated Tariff Liberalization, in part because
they wished to protect their fishermen from competition
from developing countries.
(...)

Assignment:
1. Describe Alan Larson's view of globalization.
2. Which obstacles to freer trade does Larson mention?
3. What rhetorical devices does Larson use to make his speech more effective?
4. You have a choice here. Choose one of the following tasks:
4.1 Comment on the problem of protection "from competition from developing countries" (cf.ll.60f.).
4.2 Write a letter to the editor of the journal Economic Perspectives, in which you discuss the problem of
globalization by referring to the situation of the developed and the developing countries.